“Let’s put it this way: In my mind I wouldn’t trade him for anybody in the NBA,” Fiorentino said.”Any center in the league. I think with his upside and how old he is, and the situation he’s in, with the guys that he’s around, with this coaching staff and everything that goes with it. I think he fits in perfectly with the philosophy and style of the Heat. He’s shown how much he has grown since the beginning of the year.

“To me, I just think I wouldn’t want anybody else at the center position.”

It’s not certain if he meant any player in the NBA or just at the center position, as he later qualified, but Tony is ALL-IN on Whiteside, who is not only averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks on 90-percent shooting in his first two career playoff games, but he’s killing it in the hustle categories as well.